Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology

This is the journal of the Institute of Hispanic Ufology (IHU), presenting UFO and paranormal cases from Spain, South America and the Caribbean

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Cryptozoology: An Extraordinary Fishfall Over Honduras

Source: Diario Popular (Honduras)
Date: 05.23.2014

Cryptozoology: An Extraordinary Fishfall Over Honduras

The mysterious phenomenon affected the region of Yoro. While there is no evidence that can scientifically explain this fact, it could be due to a meteorological phenomenon.

A torrential storm left a "fishfall" in a village of northern Honduras. This curious phenomenon has caused both incredulity and headaches among scientists, according to reports appearing this Friday in the local press.

Residents of La Unión, Department of Yoro, some 300 km to the north of the capital, went out with containers to gather small fish that fell in their backyards and in the streets of their community, following a thunderstorm that erupted on Wednesday night.

Honduran newspapers published photographs of children displaying the fish allegedly collected after the storm, which occurs yearly in different parts of Yoro, one of the 18 departments of Honduras.

Hypotheses on the phenomenon vary, but there is no certainty regarding the cause. Some theories hold that the fish are lifted by the currents and winds of the Caribbean, despite the fact that Yoro is 200 kilometers distant from the sea. Others suggest that they issue from the bowels of the earth, drawn by subterranean currents.

Mexico: Unusual Light Photographed over Airliner

Source: www.analuisacid.com.mx
Date: 05.28.2014

Mexico: Unusual Light Photographed over Airliner

Contributing Editor Ana Luisa Cid has kindly provided us with this photograph. She writes: "In Mexico City airport, before the arrival of the flight to Veracruz. A UFO? Small spheres are also visible in the upper left hand corner of the photo. The original [photograph] is very large. This is a reduced image. The sequence of photos was taken with only seconds of difference between them, at 10:51 a.m. on 25 May 2014."

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Argentina: Possible CE-3 - New Humanoid Presence in the Necochea

Investigation is underway. Witnesses speak of the strange presence of a humanoid-type being in the beaches of Necochea on 20 May 2014 (date to be confirmed) at 23:00 hours (approx.). It seemed to float, was very large as its strides were quite long. It was seen from an apartment in the coastal area at the beach resort itself. It moved along the beach, near the water, before vanishing abruptly. Before this, it appeared to fade away, as parts of its body would disappear. It should be noted that this was an extremely cold evening and there was no one walking along the shore. On Sunday, 18 May, other people also witnessed a strange, man-like figure heading to the sea, to an illuminated site at the water's edge. The sighting was also made from an apartment facing the shore. After 22:00 on that cold and rainy night, whatever was headed into the sea vanished along with the white lights on the berm.

Argentina: Pinpoint of Light Over Tucumán

A mysterious dot of light - manmade, natural or alien, take your pick - was photographed by Javier Lopez Posse on May 24, 2014 in daylight on a cloudy fall day in the Southern Hemisphere. Our thanks to contributing editor Guillermo Giménez for providing us with these photos.

Cattle Mutilations: Event Associated with a UFO Sighting in Argentina

This case contains nearly-ideal conditions for investigation, but for the inability to gain access to the expert report performed on site.

We would like to highlight, nonetheless, the valuable fact that this is one of the few cases in which the appearance of a light in the same time frame and geographic location can be associated with an animal mutilation.

Animal Mutilation + Light + Eyewitness

Martin Bertochi and Vicky Ziegler are the researchers who came across the case, based on the testimony of Maria Antonia, who often waited for the bus that took her from Concordia to Calabacillas, a locality in the District of Yeruá some 5 km from National Highway 14 and 6 km from the Uruguay River. Chance would have it that she would meet Martin’s father, who having learned of light sightings in the area from another woman, informed Maria Antonia of his son’s interest in [mutilations] research, and this is how the case came together.

María Antonia broke into a run the moment her bus dropped her off after seeing the lights. She ran home, causing her to trip and be injured.

When Martin and Vicki learned of the case, they paid a visit to the witness at home, learning that this was not the first time that these “lights” appeared in the area. The owner of a farm facing Maria Antonia’s house had come across a mutilated animal and was illuminated by a powerful beam of light at the moment he made the discovery.

Roberto Cutro’s Eyewitness Account

The family made up of “Cacho” and his wife, when interviewed by the whole team, seemed anxious to retell their encounter with the lights, with a mixture of excitement, stressing the truth of their experience.
[The researchers] received a warm welcome, as is the custom of country people. Kind smiles and firm handshakes defined, in a way, the hosts’ jubilant mood. They asked to come over to a sort of covered patio to get comfortable, and it was not before long that the first experience, only a few months old, was brought up (the exact date was not recalled).

…”They recall that it could have perhaps been during February of this year (2014). As was their daily custom, they were in their courtyard at night and a powerful beam of light turned the darkness to daytime. They realized that two lights were responsible for the luminosity.
They immediately phoned the police (noting that the authorities were hesitant to come over to the house). At first, Don Cutro thought that cattle rustlers bent on stealing his animals were to blame. Cacho is a man accustomed to walking around the countryside in the dark, as this is part of his daily routine. As he approached the tracks, where he saw the lights vanish, his wife called her aunt over so that she too could be a witness.

“They phoned their son in Concordia and apprised him of the events. Despite the fact that he is skeptical about such things, the son came over to his parents’ property to glean more information about the event. Weeks later, and aware of the places where the lights had been seen by the parents the night before, the son pointed in a given direction, asking if that was the site, to which the father said yes. At that time, both lights reappeared, seemingly approaching them through the countryside before vanishing. Later on, he managed to see a light that he went out to chase with a camera in his hand, jumping over a cattle gate. The light vanished without being captured on film.

The Mutilated Animal

We cannot begin to convey the case without first stating that the witness was interviewed with difficulty given over-exposure of the story by his own wife. We decided to re-interview him, returning time and again, about details of the event in order to obtain the story from his own experience. This is what you will find recorded in the narrative of the case, the product of several interviews. You will noticed these details in the audio that forms part of this research as well as the videotape.

The Husband's Story

“I was on horseback and was able to see a bright light wandering the fields while I conducted my survey activities. When I reached one of the corner points of the perimeter, I found an animal spread out on the ground. It was a cow.

“I approached the animal and when I did so, a source from above bathed me completely in its light. I had money in my pocket, so my first thought was that someone wanted to rob me. So I took off running, not knowing how – to this day – I crossed the wilderness and the cattle gates all the way to my home.

“The light was somewhat blue. It was lovely. When I got off the horse, I realized that my horse had seen the approaching light. It pulled the reins away from me, and that’s when I slapped it. It was then that the light covered me completely. When it did, I jumped back on the horse. I took off and don’t know how I made it through all the gates.”

The Wife’s Story

“When he came home, he told me: “Do you want to hear something?” I replied, “If it’s nice, yes, otherwise say nothing at all.” I could see he was very frightened. He went through a forest of eucalyptus trees and doesn’t know how he made it."

The Animal

“It was dead. I saw it alive the morning of that day. Its earlobe had been mutilated and burned. They pulled out all its genitals. Well removed, without a drop of blood. They also pulled out its eye, like someone grabbing it and pulling everything out, as if burning while they did it. That’s how the animal was found.
“The municipal vet showed up (from Concordia) and it was Dr. Olivera at the time. The first thing he did was cut off its head. It had no injuries to its muzzle. Its tongue was missing – they also took it. I don’t know how they did it, that was a strange thing.
“I found the animal dead around 20:00 hours. It was alive in the morning.
“They brought 14 dogs over, but none would approach [the cow]. They wouldn’t eat it, either. A grass analysis was performed. Dr. Olivera came with all of the people of the Concordia Police Department.”

The Light

“The light looked as if the sun had come and shed its light. What I saw most was that it was a lovely light. Beautiful light. It was bluish, a light you see seldom. There was a eucalyptus plant nearby. They wanted to take me to the doctor, but I refused. What for? I asked. Then I went to bed. He looked at my leg, which was injured and my (right) leg was completely muddied. This is the first time we’ve seen mutilated animals. We didn’t hear about our neighbors having any. There were no marks on the ground.”

Wife: “One had the impression that it was hoisted and brought down, because the animal didn’t even kick.”

Cacho: “The fetus had some spots (the cow was pregnant). And when the vet removed it, it looked like a dried-up thing. It spots on it as though it had been burned. According to the vet, it looked as though it had been done with a laser or with a poker.

Incident Involving the Horse

On several occasions now, the horse has turned up with marks, as though blood was being drawn from it. Little spots turn up. They’re oily. That horse has turned up two or three times with oil all over its back. It’s the same color as the horse, but darker.
Cows would run off to their pens. The animals couldn’t stand seeing a single light. You had to see the sense of desperation with which they took off running.
A week after finding the carcass, it was still possible to move the cow’s joints as if recently dead. The carcass disappeared completely 3 months later. Animals have died here, and their bones are still visible 4 to 5 years later. This one vanished completely.”

This then, is the statement by the witnesses regarding the events.

A separate factor involves the groups whose presence were made known in the case. It is striking. One of them in particular is a team of scientists that travels the entire country, investigating these cases, armed with major equipment. You should also know that the case you have just read never appeared in the national press and had no greater relevance beyond the local environment through radio station LT15 of Concordia. It is interesting to know that we are not the only ones looking into these cases: it seems that higher echelons are also concerned. Let’s see what we find the next time around.

Monday, May 19, 2014

Venezuela: Strange Lights During Caracas Blackout (2013)

Source: PLANETA UFO & OVNIVENEZUELA
Date: 05.19.14

Venezuela: Strange Lights Seen During Caracas Blackout
By Hector Escalante (02 December 2013)http://ovnivenezuelagrupo.blogspot.com.ar/

Many people were able to witness the manifestations of strange lights over various parts of Venezuela on Monday, December 2nd, during a power outage that took place in a number of states between 08:00 and 09:00 in the evening, and which lasted several hours in some cities.

Reports on this unusual incident, accompanied by photos, began circulating almost immediately in social media, where young and old remarked their astonishment at the events. From the Miranda Urbanization in the state that bears the same name, three college students - who asked OvniVenezuela to conceal their real identities - described the way in which the witnessed the event.

"We had just finished studying and we left the house to chat for a while. Suddenly, the lights went out in the entire area and we noticed some strange lights over Mount Mariche, which faces the urbanization," explained one witness, adding that at first sight, the lights appeared to "steal the power" from the locality, as they changed colors constantly from blue to red to yellow, causing the lights of houses on one side to dim while those on the facing side remained lit, and vice versa. He said the sky was relatively clear but that after the lights appeared, it became cloudy and rained shortly thereafter.

The witness says that given the extraordinary nature of the phenomenon, he took out his cellphone to take a picture, but as he pointed the device at the sky, the light became brighter and took off suddenly, flying over his head far away. This both distracted and frightened him, keeping him from taking the picture. In his opinion, this luminous manifestation was clearly different from a lightning bolt, because "it made no noise" and secondly, because "the lights had various colors."

Lights over Carabobo

A phenomenon of a similar nature could also be seen over Carabobo state, also witnessed and reported by local residents. In San Diego, Carmen Martinez was able to witness the apparition of an intense light whose tones oscillated between "blue, orange and violet" shortly after the blackout occurred.

She added that [the light] rested for several minutes over the localities of Guacara and San Joaquin, which are adjacent to San Diego, flashing rapidly and making its multicolored composition visible. She regretted not going to find a camera to capture it in photo or video, shocked as she was by the events.

Martinez is certain that what she saw that night "wasn't a lightning bolt". In agreement with the witnesses in Caracas, she argued that the lights characteristics had no commonality at all with such natural manifestations, which are furthermore fully known and identifiable, as they occur frequently in the region.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Argentina: CE-3 Policeman Given Mandatory Retirement in La Pampa

SOURCE: Planeta UFO and Realidad OVNI
DATE: 15 May 2013

Argentina: CE-3 Policeman Given Mandatory Retirement in La Pampa

The case involves Luis Sergio Pucheta, a law enforcement officer who was allegedly pursued by two extraterrestrials. He was found 20 kilometers away from the place he disappeared from. The police officer who insisted back in 2006 that “red-eyed beings” had chased him and given him commands, has entered mandatory retirement. Since that time, he was deeply traumatized and was never able to return to work. He has now been given retirement.

According to Resolution 383, published in the Official Gazette, Luis Sergio Pucheta was transferred to the “mandatory retirement” list due to his inability to work as a policeman since the event, due to the trauma created. The case occurred in March 2006 between the communities of General Pico and Quemú Quemú. At the time, Pucheta was attached to the Anti-Cattle Rustling Division (División Anti-Abigeato) and patrolled the unimproved roads on his motorcycle at a location known as “El cruce de cañas” some 20 kilometers southeast of Pico. It was then that he radioed the police base to say “something strange was going on”, that he needed support and was on his way to investigate. Radio contact was lost immediately thereafter.
Below are the details of the case in a report drafted by researcher Quique Mario:

“After using his cellphone to contact a co-worker who was off, a spectacular search by elements of the law enforcement personnel from Regional Unit II under Inspector Roberto Ayala took place. From the early hours of the morning, the head of the police force, Commissioner Ricardo Badaux and the Minister of Safety, Interior and Justice, Dr. Juan Carlos Tierno, were on the scene.”

Details:Day: 2 March 2006Time: 21:30 approximatelyWeather: Warm night with a storm approaching from the NWArea description: A rural crossroads. Characteristics common to those of any other area, with the exception of a large cane field to the west. As a main characteristic, it has a considerable extension, being over 300 meters long with a width varying between 2 and 3 meters. The roads were passable and in good condition before the rainfall, which started at around one in the morning.Area location: The place where the episode occurred is part of the rural area of the locality of Dorila, heading toward Maisonave to the east.Characteristics of the protagonist: At the time, he was a 31-year-old man in good physical condition, working for the Cattle Rustling section of UR-II headquartered in General Pico. He identified himself as Sergio Pucheta, married, with a wife in the late stages of pregnancy. According to testimony collected on the site and from co-workers, he was a normal person with no apparent family issues, owner of a business (on-line) and no outstanding financial obligations. He is well-thought of by his superiors.
Details to bear in mind: The officer “saw” something that led him to unholster his sidearm, his two-way radio and drop the cellphone. The event fosters one of the hypotheses put forth from the beginning: pressured by an unknown situation, the witness made these moves mechanically. According to his story, he tried to get away from the place because they were following him “…they followed me all night…” he repeated insistently.

Young Pucheta was found on a rural road parallel to Provincial Route 1 by a farmer returning from the city of General Pico in an area identified by police as “The Triangle”. When we arrived at the site, the farmer was in the middle of the road, away from Pucheta, who rested in a fetal position on the western side of the road, in the direction of Quemú Quemú.
First contact was initiated by Commissioner Ayala, who attempted initial communication without an answer. I approached Pucheta from the right, I knelt to be at his same elevation and noticed that he did not change position and kept his extremities in a visibly rigid position, surely the result of considerable emotional shock.

I tried speaking to him to make him react. I told him that the chief of Regional II was beside him and the person speaking to him was there to help. Subsequently, I asked him to relax by means of a simple breathing exercise, urging him to inhale through his nose and exhale through his mouth. Gradually, Pucheta began to loosen up and I was able to examine his hands without finding any abnormalities. The same occurred with his head, although I couldn’t see his face. He said his eyes burned, keeping his face concealed.
When he stretched his lower extremities, he haltingly began to say: “they followed me all night”. When asked “by who?” he replied: “It was two of them…they had red eyes…”. When asked about his pursuers’ appearance, he said: “They looked transparent…and had red eyes…their eyes made my head hurt…they told me what they wanted me to do…they made me make a phone call…they told me they would come for me tonight…”

Asked about his sidearm, he said: “I don’t know”, a sentence he repeated when asked about his radio and cellphone. “…they followed me all night…” he repeated.
Having relaxed his body considerably, I asked him to stand up, and assisted by Commissioner Ayala, he stood up and began weeping next to his superior. I urged him to do so, in order to relieve his anguish. He concealed his face at all times. He asked to sit down and managed to do so with our assistance. He always kept his face covered with his forearms. Ayala asked him to lift his head, and he did so halfway, but without opening his eyes.

He insisted: “They had red eyes” and that “…they would come for him at night…” His condition was that of a person who had undergone a powerful emotional shock.
He further added that his fingers were burning, but no visible abnormalities were evident. He then said that his feet were burning, and was helped to remove his hiking boots and socks. The soles of his feet presented signs of having walked extensively, with blisters due to perspiration.

A doctor arrived by ambulance, telling him help was on the way, but firmly deciding to convey him directly to Centeno Hospital in General Pico.

We helped him get on the stretcher. He stood up, and covering his face at all times with his forearms, placed himself face down on the stretcher.

His arrival at the hospital prompted readiness in the emergency room. Three nurses assisted him in removing his clothing and Dr. Covella began a surface examination that yielded no abnormalities. I asked whether a sedative was in order, to which the doctor said no, since Pucheta said he was tired and wanted to sleep, leaving unanswered certain questions posed by the physician.
Dr. Covella confirmed that a full workup would be performed (blood and urine) and that he would remain under observation for at least 24 hours. It was ascertained that he had no physical injuries. Pucheta never returned to work again.

The Red Eyes

We are faced with a typology which, while not unknown, has a certain measure of aggressiveness given the aftereffects to the witness. Since the last years of the 1990s, cases had been recorded in the province with the same description: Red eyes. There were several cases in which eyewitnesses claimed seeing something for which “their red eyes” was all that could be described. Some compared them “as if they were two burning coals.”

The images are very strange and no veterinary surgeon has voiced an opinion as of yet, but concern among residents of General Acha manifested itself a posting to the citizen journalism portal of TN.com.ar.

Photographs published in TN y la Gente show a dead bovine with unexplained injuries. Descriptions explain that the animal is missing its tongue, also part of its jaw, and has a large hole on its back, near its rump. According to the user who shared the material, the find occurred three days ago on a friend's farm, who was also unable to find an explanation.

"What happened to this animal? Does it have to do with the Chupacabras, or do you think it was merely eaten away by vermin and there is no mystery here? Examine the content and give us your opinion", asks the web site.

Another strange discovery created intrigue and fear in Leubucó back in December. According to the Veradia.com web site, a creature tried to attack a man in the vicinity of a mill, but the man killed it by striking it on the head in self-defense.

The farmhand decided to conceal the remains of the strange entity until his brother found its bones, making them available to professionals for their analysis. "Something like two wings protruded from its torso. Its ears were at the level of its jaw and it had fur," described the man, who did not want to disclose his identity. He added the animal was at least 60 centimeters tall.

Sunday, May 04, 2014

Typical Elements of the “Hero’s Journey” Found in the Ituzaingó CE-3 (1985)

Typical Elements of the “Hero’s Journey” Found in the Ituzaingó CE-3 (1985)By Andrés Salvador
(Appeared originally in Alternativa OVNI, April 2014 No.4)

In all of these cases, the presence of “Aliens”, catalogued as dependent upon, equal to or superior to humans, always takes place with a process of humanization, to the extent that the aberrant ethnography brought about by a variety of alien figure, turns in to a true and correct reservoir of typically human symbols and characters.

- Francisco Ferrini, Que es verdaderamente ciencia ficción

This paper seeks to establish the typical elements of the “hero’s journey” for the “hero” indicated by Joseph Campbell (1992) that may be present in the humanoid encounter of the Ituzaingó CE-3 (1985).

Facts on the Ituzaingó Case. On August 25, 1985, the El Litoral newspaper of Corrientes (Argentina) published an article by journalist Norma Massa (deceased), who at the time was in charge of the wire service of the Ituzaingó newspaper. The article bore the title Después de los OVNI (Agencia, 1985) and reported a close encounter of the third kind = CE3 (Hynek, 1979: 37-38) experienced by an unidentified couple near that city, which is the seat of the Department of Ituzaingó (Corrientes-Argentina) on the morning of 24 August 1985 between 01:00 and 02:45 hours:

1. Circumstances under which the case is made known to the reporter. According to Massa: “A couple arrived yesterday morning, traveling on their way to Posadas in their car along Route 12 to Corrientes (they are natives of the provincial seat). We refused to open our door to them at such an early hour, fearing we might become victims of a criminal act. But the man through his identification documents through the jalousies – professional ID and vehicle registration – stating that his wife needed attention and that they wanted to make their situation known to El Litoral. After letting them in, we exchanged introductions and in fact, the woman was in a sorry state, in the grip of a nervous breakdown, and we asked her to lie down, providing the assistance that these cases required. This enabled her to recover sufficiently to participate in the dialogue we had with her husband. He has asked us to keep his identity confidential due to the reasons mentioned earlier ["The protagonists came to us in a state of shock, desirous of concealing their identity from public opinion to avoid becoming the target of pranks by friends, relatives or neighbors, or being harassed by the press. One can believe that something really took place."]

2. The CE-3 Begins:
“[The husband] said he was driving at a cruising speed of 100 km per hour, concerned about stray animals found along the road. He added that having passed the Ituzaingó exit, he noticed lights of different colors in transparent tones – pink and slightly yellow – in the distance. While these colors are not customary in trucks, he thought it might be one. He slowed down, and as he approached, one light became more intense, prompting him to stop. His wife urged him keep driving, but he adds that the he could not do so, as he was unable to see the road or the shoulder, and then the vehicle was left in shadow.”
Description of the object: “Nor was he able to describe the vehicle due to the darkness, or due to the brightness of the light.”

3. Progress of the CE-3. The sequence of the story is continued here, with the provision that point 5 precedes 4 in this case:

1) Description of the humanoid: “a man approached them.” The “man”, according to our visitor, was dressed in a dark outfit, but he was unable to say if it was a one-piece outfit or another, given the darkness and the lack of lights, but he noticed that a sort of accessory, similar to the vestments worn by some priests, surrounded his neck and chest, in a light color. His head was bare and his hair was average, neither long nor short. The alleged extraterrestrials features were beautiful ["Astonished, the couple beheld a man with perfect human features."] with large and pleasant eyes, a kindly gaze and a normal voice, albeit very deep. When the humanoid rested his hand upon that of the car driver, “our fellow provincial was able to tell that its temperature was identical to that of any individual.”
2) Content of the communication: “He told them: Do not be frightened! Feel no fear! We are not from Earth…! [Language: “Spoke a fluid Castilian more proper of an Argentinean national than any other citizen of Latin America or Spain. "They were startled by the normality of his speech and its similarity to our own, which goes to show - she said - that there are evidently other worlds, that they have studied us very much, even in our own language."]. As the wife was weeping and cuddled up to her husband, the man pointed at her and said: Don’t be afraid, woman, we are not doing anything bad, we want to know you. When the car driver asked him to let them go, the extraterrestrial asked him not to go, bidding him to listen to what he had to say.” ["The woman told us that she could not control her fear, since at first she thought they were robbers and had already had an unpleasant experience during a previous road trip."]

3) Origin of the humanoid: “Our visitor, making a strong impression, amid the loneliness of the location, heard the alleged alien tell him: We belong to MAIT, another world in another space, like Earth. We are men and women, but we do not have this civilization. We have come to meet you. Tell everyone not to be afraid.”

4) Description of the place of origin: “Our interviewee recalls that the man told him that there was no transportation other than air travel on his world, and that they had a sun and a moon, stars, wind, rain, heat and cold.”

5) Physical contact: “At a given moment, the visitor placed his hand on the driver’s hand with an evident physical desire to touch him.”

6) Non-hostile behavior by the humanoid: “He also stated that he did not wanted them to be afraid, because they were not enemies, that there were many people in the world who were aware of their existence, but who said nothing, and they did not know why. He later affectionately addressed the driver’s wife, trying to calm her down, asking her to please tell everyone that they were good.” ["...stating that many things escaped their awareness during the event, due to the fear experienced, stating that they never thought it was possible to feel so much fear and astonishment, as in the situation they had lived through."]

4. Outcome of the CE-3:

“During the final segments of the extraordinary interview, the alien asked our interviewee to give him something to take back to MAIT, and the man reached for a bottle of perfume that he kept in the glove compartment, a toothbrush in its case, and a soap box with a bar of soap. These were given to the “extraterrestrial”, along with a pack of sweet cookies that were on the dashboard, as well as a one Austral banknote, tell the humanoid what each of these things was for. Before saying farewell, the “extraterrestrial” asked him not to start the car until they had departed. Smiling, he headed back to the “UFO” where other beings awaited him. One of the lights became blindingly bright, and the light rose into the air, vanishing into the horizon.” [Researcher Oscar Raul Mendoza reminds us: "In many close encounter cases, the ufonauts advise the experiences not to touch the craft and to step aside from it after liftoff." (Mendoza, 1993:56)- "Our interviewee does not remember how long the experience lasted, but stated that they had left Posadas around 1 in the morning."]

5. Events following the CE-3:
“With his wife in a grip of a nervous breakdown, our visitor reminded us that he had always read news from our wire service in El Littoral, and was well aware of who was in charge of it, having read articles by the undersigned. He headed toward us, reaching our home at 2:45 in the morning on Saturday.”

After the exposition, Massa states:

“We allowed the woman the rest and went with the husband to the place where the encounter took place, where we saw nothing, returning there yesterday morning without finding any traces whatsoever. With the dawn of a new day, and after having engaged in an extended chat with the couple, allowing us to ascertain their seriousness, they took off on their way back to Corrientes.”

The reasons given by the witness for making the journalist aware of the incident are particularly interesting: “A single circumstance,” he said, “moves me to make this statement, and it’s that this man (the “alien”) asked me to tell everyone we know not to feel fear and that they are good creatures. I am doing this, because if all this contributes to clarifying the alien mystery, we will have made a contribution to the Humanity to which we all form part. If all of this turns out to be a fantasy made up by the Americans or the Russians, who have highly sophisticated and fast spacecraft, we will have wasted our time, but I am personally sure that I spoke with a being from another world, an kindly being, sweet at times, concerned about us, who was perhaps only accomplishing a mission of contacting the Earth and Humankind, and while I must acknowledge that I felt fear, it will be among the loveliest and most fascinating memories I’ve had, and I hope it happens to me again, because then I will get out of the car, exchange opinions and ask questions, which I didn’t do now – ask questions, due to the powerful shock I felt.”

The Ituzaingó Case (1985) Questioned. The case has been called into question by Roberto Banchs, among other reasons, due to the non-disclosure of the protagonist’s identities [“he asked us to keep their identities confidential -- "The seriousness of El Litoral allows me to speak publicly about all this, and if I am concealing my name it is for good reason, such as a fear of mockery or pranks. Think, Madam, that in a time when students mock their professors and even their parents, what would become of my life among neighbors and co-workers, with people who lost the concept of respect a long time ago." – and only their ages are provided [“He is 41 and she is 36”] and their place of residence [“Corrientes (they are natives of the provincial seat)”].

Elements of the hero’s journey present in the story. In this paper we shall follow the study made by Joseph Campbell on the mythological “hero’s journey” made by the “hero”, understood as the “magnification of the formula represented in rituals of initiations: separation-initiation-return, that could receive the name of the nuclear unit of the mono-myth” (Campbell, 1992: 35) seeking to establish the typical elements of the full cycle (Campbell, 1992:225) that may be present in the Ituzaingó case (1985). To do this, we shall point out the stages and subdivisions of the hero’s mythical journey (Campbell, 1992: 223-224) and we shall then break down the parts that correspond to it, in our understanding.

I. Separation:

1) The call to adventure: “The mythological hero abandons his hut or castle, is attracted, carried away or voluntarily marches toward the gateway of adventure (Campbell, 1992:223). The couple drives by car from Posadas to Corrientes at “cruising speed” when “they see lights” which prompt the driver to “slow down and when (…) a light became brighter (…) stopped, despite his wife urging him to keep driving.”

II. Initiation:

2) Threshold of adventure. “There he finds the presence of a shadow guarding the road. The hero can defeat or conciliate that force and enter the kingdom of darkness alive (battle with a kinsman, battle with the dragon, offer, enchantment) or can be slain by the opponent and descend into death (dismemberment, crucifixion) (Campbell, 1992:223). Ituzaingó Case: a) shadow guarding the road: “a man approached them”; b) conciliation with force: The humanoid “asked our interviewee to give him something to take back to MAIT, and the man took (…) and gave them to the “extraterrestrial” (…) indicating the purpose for each thing being given.”
3) Beyond the threshold: Beyond the threshold, the hero makes way through a world of unfamiliar forces, yet oddly intimate ones, some of which threaten him with danger (tests) while others provide him magical assistants (helpers).” (Campbell, 1992:223). Ituzaingó Case: a) unfamiliar forces: “We are not from Earth”; b) intimacy: “The couple saw a man with perfect human features”, “spoke fluid Castilian more closely resembling the Argentinean dialect; c) tests: “The driver of the car asked him to let them go, the extraterrestrial asked him not to go, bidding him to listen to what he had to say.” ; d) danger: “the wife wept and cuddled up to her husband”; “never thought one could feel so much fear and astonishment”.
4) End of the adventure: “Upon reaching the end of the mythological journey, he undergoes a supreme test and receives his reward. Triumph may represented by the sexual union of the hero with the mother goddess of the world (sacred marriage), knowledge of the father-creator (harmony with the father), his own divinization (apotheosis) or also, if the forces have remained hostile, the loss of the gift he has come to win (loss of his bride, loss of fire). Intrinsically, it is the expansion of awareness and therefore, that of the being (illumination, transfiguration, liberty).” (Campbell, 1992: 223-224”. Ituzaingó Case: a) supreme test: Do not be frightened! Feel no fear! We are not from Earth…!”; “he asked him (…) to hear him out; b) Expansion of awareness and being: “while I must acknowledge that I felt fear, it will be among the loveliest and most fascinating memories I’ve had, and I hope it happens to me again, because then I will get out of the car, exchange opinions and ask questions, which I didn’t do now – ask questions, due to the powerful shock I felt.”

III. Return:

1) Start of the return: “The final task is the return. If the forces have blessed the hero, now he moves under their protection (emissary); if not he flees and is chased (flight with transformation, flight with obstacles)” (Campbell, 1992:224). Ituzaingó Case: “Tell everyone not to be afraid...”; “asking us to tell everyone that they were good”; “asked me to tell everyone we know not to be afraid, and that they are good beings”.
2) Return threshold: “In the return threshold, the transcendental forces must remain behind. The hero begins his return from the kingdom of sorrows (return, resurrection).” (Campbell, 1992: 3). Ituzaingó Case: Transcendental forces remain behind. “The alien (…) headed back to the “UFO” where other beings awaited (…) and the light took off swiftly, vanishing into the horizon.”
4) Return: “Goodness brought to restore the world (elixir)” (Campbell, 1992: 224). Ituzaingó Case: I am doing this, because if all this contributes to clarifying the alien mystery, we will have made a contribution to the Humanity to which we all form part (…) but I am personally sure that I spoke with a being from another world, an kindly being, sweet at times, concerned about us, who was perhaps only accomplishing a mission of contacting the Earth and Humankind.”

Conclusion. The presence of elements typical of the hero’s journey emerges from an analysis of the Ituzaingó Case (1985), making it possible to state that it follows the model of the nuclear unit of the monomyth: “a separation from the world, penetration to some source of power, and a return to life to live it with more purpose.” (Campbell, 1992: 39-40).

About Me

The Institute of Hispanic Ufology was established in October of 1998 with the appearance of the first issue of Inexplicata. The organization currently has representatives and contributing editors in over a dozen Spanish-speaking countries. Director: Scott Corrales.